Submitting its gender pay gap report yesterday, the housebuilder and timber frame manufacturer revealed a 4.8% improvement, from 18.1% down to 13.1%, almost half of the 23.6% industry average.

The gender pay gap highlights the imbalance of men in senior, higher-paid roles when compared to women.

All UK companies with over 250 employees are required to publish a report as part of efforts to accelerate the closure of the gap.

Stewart Milne Group said its success is down to attracting and recruiting more women and providing them with clear career progression opportunities.

Karen Catto, HR director at Stewart Milne Group, said: “The gender pay gap, defined as the difference in the average pay and bonuses of all men and women across an organisation, can often be misconstrued as paying women less than men.

“This is certainly not the case at Stewart Milne Group where we offer equal pay for equal work. At the root of the so-called pay gap in our industry and many others, is the under-representation of women.

“Our gender pay gap has closed because of the strides we have made towards encouraging more women into the organisation, through several different routes and initiatives, and then making sure we provide them with clear progression routes into senior positions.”

Publishing its own report, ISG revealed it has also seen an improvement against the 2017 gender pay gap results. 

In 2018, the contractor developed and launched the Level 3 Professional Construction Practice (PCP) qualification and joined the 5% Club – a pan-industry, employer-led organisation which aims to increase the employment and career prospects of today’s young people and formalises its commitment to increase the gender and ethnic diversity of people working in its business.

ISG’s 2018 gender pay gap

• ISG 42.8% (lower mean) 41.9% (lower median)
• ISG Construction Ltd 31.5% (lower mean) 34.6% (lower median)
• ISG Retail Ltd 35.5% (lower mean) 36.3% (lower median)
• ISG Central Services Ltd 32.9% (lower mean) 15.5% (lower median)

ISG also appointed more women to the global leadership team, significantly improved the gender balance on its 10-person strong executive committee, and appointed Jane Falconer to the Stat Board in the role of chief HR officer earlier this year.  

ISG CEO, Paul Cossell, said: “I truly believe that the diversity of new talent makes us better, and the gender pay gap report is a welcomed moved from the Government and provides a real wake up call to every business leader that they must work harder to address gender imbalances. 

“While as individual organisations, we have the mechanisms to positively affect behavioural change and make our businesses more inclusive and diverse places to work, our industry needs to collectively work harder to positively change the conversation and perception of careers in the built environment.”

ISG’s chief HR officer, Jane Falconer, added: “We need to set the conditions for a balanced workforce at every touchpoint – so engaging with pupils, teachers and parents at a much earlier stage, actively supporting and engaging with STEM subjects in school, looking outside our industry for inspirational leaders and become much better at explaining why the built environment is a home for aspirational and talented individuals, regardless of gender.”

The gender pay gap report is a requirement prompted by changes to the Equality Act, which came into force in April 2017. The first figures, in 2018, showed the construction sector had the worst average median gender pay gap.

Research from recruiter Randstad shows less than 20% of employees in the construction industry are female.